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The Vow
Marpenoth 21, 500 DR Just outside Myth Drannor, Cormanthyr The towers of Myth Drannor shone brightly and twinkled in the night under the stars, piercing the canopy of the forest in a smattering of different places. It was really a jewel of a city, and the elf Josidiah Starym was proud to call it home. The gold skinned elf hopped nimbly from one branch to the next upwards. He looked to the east up a rise whose peak afforded a magnificent view over the city and the woods to the west. "Guen, stand here and guard against any eavesdroppers. I've not had a moment alone with my love for some time now," he whispered downward. Below, a great black cat purred in recognition of his order, and bounded away into the night. The panther was gone soon enough, and the heir of the Starym clan could hear not even her footfalls after a few seconds. Confident in Guenhwyvar's abilities, the bladesinger continued upwards. Aravae Irithyl sat comfortably on a shadowtop ledge of a great tree overlooking Castle Cormanthor, high above the forest floor and on top of the canopy. She smiled, delighting in the starlight, the way Sehanine's points of light twinkled like glitterdust over the elven people. A cool autumn breeze passed through her hair, bringing with it the scents of the city. It had changed much over the last two centuries with such influxes of dwarves, gnomes, halfings, and men, but the elves had somehow kept it from reeking like the swarming human metropolis' the heir of Cormanthyr had visited before. "At last I have found you, my love," came the low, soothing voice of Josidiah as he crested the shadowtop and fluidly moved into the embrace of Aravae. Their lips found eachother and the two shared a kiss that lasted for many moments. "I have longed for thee like a bird for the sky," she replied, running her hands through his copper-coloured hair. She kissed him again, unbuttoning his shirt so as to feel his skin against hers. "The years go by, and yet my love for you only grows from the sapling it once was to the mighty oak it now becomes, Aravae. And as such, this secret we share desires only to burst from my chest, for this frail body of mine is no match for the passion I have for you." The elf gently removed her cloak and laid her down on the shadowtop, kissing her softly on her neck. "The Coronal knows it not to be prudent," she gasped has his lips moved to her chest. She could feel his breath over her skin and felt shivers climb her entire body. Josidiah stopped, looking up and her with his piercing blue eyes, a trait he had recieved from his moon elven mother. "And your uncle is rarely, if ever, wrong," he replied, sighing. "It is an inconvenient truth, but truth nonetheless. My family has committed many sins against the empire and your uncle, to be sure. Despite the efforts of those of us who remain, the Staryms are simply not the best choice for the heir of Cormanthyr," he added. She sat up, holding his head in her slender, soft hands. "It will come, in time. Your honour, and the reputation of Taleisin, rebuild your family's prestige every year. Be patient, my love. Eltargrim will come around." She kissed him again. "I have been patient for nearly two centuries now, Aravae. My body burns with desire for you, and it takes every amount of will power I have to contain my love and not shout it out for all to hear. This is not a way to live. Love should be shared and celebrated, not skulked around in the shadowtops under the watch of no one but the Seldarine." he sighed, clutching her chin and staring deeply into her eyes. His face grew grim. "What is it?" she asked, concerned. "I have made plans with the Company. We leave tomorrow, bound for the Twisted Tower. I have received word of the whereabouts of the lost Warblade. If I can retrieve it, I know it in my heart that the Coronal will accept my family and we can be together forever," he said. A tear fell down Aravae's face. "You would leave Myth Drannor? For how long?" she asked, her voice trembling. "What will I do?" "I will return no later than a century's time. The years will be long and bleak, but I know this to be the only way to reclaim my family's honour as one of the twelve founding houses. Only then will your uncle accept me as your husband. Will you wait for me?" His look was pleading. "Josie..." she started, tears now flooding her pale face. She touched his cheek, and saw that he, too, cried for her. They moved closer together, and she could feel his heart beating against hers. "I would wait a millenium or more in this world, and an eternity in the woods of Arvandor for you. You know this to be true." "Aravae," he called, pulling her tightly against him. "I will return, I swear it to Corellon. May all the Seldarine look here tonight and hear me swear that I will return for you." "I said I would wait," she responded, pulling his lips to hers. He sunk into her, and the two became entwined like the vines of two bushes grown close together. The stars twinkled above them evermore. Category:Background Stories